spinney

[spin-ee]

noun

British.

plural

spinneys 

1. a small wood or thicket.

spinney

/ ˈspɪnɪ /

noun

1. a small wood or copse

Word History and Origins

Origin of spinney¹

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French espinei (masculine), espinaie (feminine) a place full of thorns, derivative of espine spine; compare Late Latin spīnētum difficulty, equivalent to Latin spīn ( a ) thorn ( spine ) + -ētum noun suffix ( arboretum )

Word History and Origins

Origin of spinney¹

C16: from Old French espinei, from espine thorn, from Latin spīna

Example Sentences

Less than half a mile to the west, they came upon a spinney adjoining the southern edge of Caesar’s Belt.

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Merry went in front leading a laden pony, and took his way along a path that went through a spinney behind the house, and then cut across several fields.

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The flowery meads and bird-fruitful spinneys of the Arras teemed and rippled over the four walls.

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He led me into a small spinney, ample enough to hide us from view.

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Then they made a tour of inspection of the whole farm and surveyed with speechless admiration the ploughland, the hayfield, the orchard, the pool, the spinney.

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Related Words

• scrub 
• thicket